Bottle-washing machine.



0. 1 9 l 0| 1 V. 0 N Yal@ W II RH EAB me.. Gm www 2 1 L Em. HmluD Tun 0L B APPLIOATION r1 Patented Feb. 14, 1911 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. J. BROEG-KER-I BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED MAB.1z, 1910. RENEWED 11017.10, 1910.

984,069. Patented Feb.14,1911.

BOTTLE-VASHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 12, 1910, Serial No. 548,983.

Patented Feb. 1d, 1911i.. Renewed November l0, 1910. Serial No. 591,676.

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY J. Bnoiioiinii, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vaukegan, county of Lake, and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bottle-lVashing Machines, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of bottle washing machines in and by which a plurality of bottle ci'ates are suspended at their respective ends from a pair of endless sprocket chains, which chains are each suspended from a pair of sprocket wheels within a water tank, in such a manner that as said wheels are revolved, said bottle racks will be submerged and carried by said chains down one side of said tanks and up t-he other, and the botties thereby cleansed, and my present invention pertains more especially, among other tliiiig's, to the construction lst, of the end members of the bottle supporting racks by which racks of various widths corresponding with the various sizes of bottles may be used in the same machine, and 2nd, to the construction of the sheet metal cylinders and cylinder supporting members of the rack, whereby any one or more of said cylindei's may be readily removed and replaced without changing or injuring the other parts of the rack, and whereby a given sized machine may be used for washing all of the various sizes of bottles and the cost of keeping .theracks in repair is reduced to the minimum.

rlhe construction of my invention is eX- plained by reference to the accompanying Figure l is an end view, away, showing a series of bottle racks, rack supporting chains and chain supporting wheels in connection with a water tank, which tank is shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side view, part iii section, of a bottle rack, showing a portion of one of the suspension chains and the device for connecting' the rack withsuch cha-ins. F ig. 3 is a top view of the rack shown iii Fig. 2. Fig. d is a top view of the rack as it is made for larger bottles than those shown in the previous igures. Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the end members of the rack, which is adapted to be permanently connected with the supporting chain. Fig. 6 is a perspecpart broken tive View of one of the bottle cylinders removed froni the end members of the rack, and Fig. 7 is a vertical section, showing the manner of retaining the cylinders l between the horizontal members 2 and 8 of the bottle rack.

Like parts are identilied by the same reference numerals throughout the several views.

It will be understood that bottle racks comprising a series of bottle receiving cylinders l, horizontal upper member 2, horizontal lower member 3 connected together by end members 4., chain supported end members a provided with lugs 5, have previously been suspended from sprocket wheels 6, 6, by a pair of sprocket chains 7, within a water tank 8, and that the bottles to be washed have been retained in said cylinders by covers 9, which are secured to one edge of the upper member 2 by hinges l0; also that said covers 9 have previously been provided with contact bearings ll, which, as the bottles are moved through the tank, are adapted to' bear against the inner edge of the radial rib or flange l2, whereby the bottle retaining covers are retained in their closed position and the bottles prevented from escaping therefrom as they are drawn upwardly from the tank by said chains. In View of the foregoing, invention in this application is predicated more especially upon the improved construction of such sheet metal cylinders l, the upper and lower members 2 and 3, removable end members 4L, and the device for connecting crates of various sizes with the fixed members 4r', all of which end members 1i are made of a predetermined width, whereby crates of various widths required fer bottles of dilierent sizes may be suspended from the saine fixed end members 4L and the necessity of having ditterent niachiiies for washing bottles of different sizes as heretofore is thereby avoided, while the cylinders l are so connected with the upper and lower members 2 and 3 that any one or more of said cylinders may be readily removed from and replaced between said end members by simply removing the retaining screws 13 from the upper horizontal member 2.

In bottle racks as heretofore constructed, the interlocking flanges lei of the end members varied in width according to the width ol" the rack and as a consequence, racks ot but one sizecould be used in connection with one set or series ot lixed end members es. By my improvement, however', the interlocking flanges let are all made of unit'orm width to contorni to the grooves o'l the llanges 15 of said end members el.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be noticed that a crate ot a given length is made tor six bottles of the smaller size, while the crate shown in Fig. Je is made 'for four bottles oi a larger' size, and that by the construction shown in Fig. et, the end members l extend outwardly toward the right and lett past the tixed end members 4', and that said interlocking flanges 14C, lll, of the end members 1l, are adapted to engage in grooves o'I said flanges 15, 15, regardless of the width of the racks or the size of bottles used therein.

Heretotore it has been common to extend the respective ends ot the bottle retaining cylinders 1 through apertures 1G in both the upper and lower members 2 and 3, when the respective ends ot' said cylinders have been turned over against the outer surfaces ot said upper and lower members, so as to retain said cylinders in place in said apertures. By my present improvement, however, the cylinders 1 do not extend through said apertures but instead terminate at their respective ends against the opposing inner surfaces of said upper and lower members, and said cylinders are retained in place in said apertures by the annular inwardly extending flanges 1.7 and 18 of said upper and lower members 2 and 3, as more clearly shown in Fig. 7, whereby it is obvious that by rempving the screwsl, the upper horizontal member 2 may be withdrawn itrom the rack, when any one or more of said cylinders 1 may be readily removed and replaced with others without destroying or in any way affecting any of' the other parts of the rack. The lugs 5, 5, are connected with the chains '7, 7, by the laterally projecting lugs 19 formed on the inner side of the next adjacent links and said lugs 19 are retained between the lugs 5, 5, bythe bolts Q1, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

In view ot the fact that the cylinders 1 l l l s l i l l l i i l l i l l. i l l l are made ol thin sheet metal, which is liable to rust in a short time and that the other 'l are of more durable parts of the machine and substantial construction, it` becomes of great importance to be able to remove such cylinders and replace the same with others without injuriously affecting such other cooperating parts, which desirable object is conveniently accomplished by the device shown at a minimum expense.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the described class, a bottle Irack comprising tachable cylinders vertically disposed between a pair of horizontal members provided with apertures registering with the openings in said cylinders, a pair of transversely arranged end members connected at their respective endswith said horizontal members, said cylinders terminating at their respective ends against the opposing inner surfaces of said upper and lower horizontal members, said horizontal members being provided with annular inwardly extending llanges adapted to bear against the inner vertical walls ot said cylinders, and means tor detachably connecting the end members of said rack with a pair ot rack supporting chains.

2. ln a bottle washing machine of the described class, the device for interchangeably connecting bottle racks of different widths with a pair of revoluble rack carrying chains consisting in the combination with the interlocking flanges of the end members which are permanently connected with said chains, ot detachable rack end members of various widths conforming to the various widths ot said racks, the members ot said racks being provided with flanges conforming in width and adapted to interlock with the lllanges olf the chain supported end members.

ln testimony whereof aliix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY J. BROECKER. lVitnesses L'ILLn\N Benz, CLARENCE E. Hrciis.

a plurality of de-V 

